The Prince of Jin felt as if the fire in the stove had burned into his heart.
He wanted to do many things and say many things to let Tang Zhuyun know that she liked him, and to make him very happy.
But he was too stupid; all he could do was hold her tightly and couldn't say anything else.
"Oh dear!" Xiu'er exclaimed, covering her eyes as she went outside.
These two are so loving!
Tang Zhuyun stood up from her lap and said irritably, "Come back!"
They were having a heart-to-heart talk, without any of that nonsense.
Xiu'er: "I'll be back in a little while."
Come back now.
Xiu'er came in with her head down, muttering, "Don't look at what you shouldn't see."
"What's wrong?" Tang Zhuyun asked. "Weren't we taking Nanny Jing out for a walk?"
Xiu'er said, "Nanny Jing asked me if it would be alright to get married at the end of the year, so I came back..."
Tang Zhuyun burst into laughter.
The Prince of Jin retorted sharply, "It's rare that you still have moments of shyness."
Xiu'er's eyes widened. "When did I become shy? Shouldn't I come back and ask Her Majesty if it's alright?"
Prince of Jin: "..."
Tang Zhuyun laughed even more heartily.
"What do you mean I can't or can't do it? Go home and ask your mother."
"If you can do it, then I can do it too," Xiu'er said. "I'll listen to you, and my mother will listen to you too."
"Then you decide for yourself," Tang Zhuyun said. "If you're happy, I'll agree."
A blush crept across Xiu'er's face, and she stamped her foot, saying, "Your Majesty, shouldn't I be a little more reserved in this matter? Please say so."
Tang Zhuyun: "... Okay, then let's set it for the end of the year."
Xiu'er said, "Then this servant will go and tell Nanny Jing... Oh well, never mind, I'll have my mother tell her tomorrow. I'll go out now."
After saying that, she turned and left.
Prince of Jin asked Tang Zhuyun, "I remember when we first met, this maid was quite foolish and timid. How come she's such a different person now?"
It is mainly used to counter him.
Tang Zhuyun said that she knew the answer to this question, Xiu'er herself had mentioned it.
Xiu'er said that she had done all sorts of absurd things while following her predecessor, so how could she not feel guilty?
What I did later was open and honest, so of course I should hold my head high and live with my head held high.
"It's mainly because Your Highness is lenient." Tang Zhuyun lied through her teeth, flattering Prince of Jin.
The Prince of Jin snorted coldly and said, "If it weren't for your sake, would I have tolerated her?"
"If it weren't for Her Highness the Princess's fondness for you, I wouldn't be here!" Xiu'er's indignant voice rang out.
Even if you wanted to be controlled by her, she wouldn't!
Tang Zhuyun had already finished making the pancakes, put the lid on the pot, and was washing her hands when she heard this. She laughed and said, "What's wrong with you now? Are you planning to get married tomorrow?"
"No way," Xiu'er said. "It's important business; Lüzhu is here."
"Lüzhu? Is there something you need from me, sister-in-law?" Tang Zhuyun asked, wiping her hands.
It was already getting dark outside. It was so late, and Meng Yulan probably wasn't in a hurry to find her unless she had something urgent to attend to.
"She said the lady has a few words to tell you and wants you to come over," Xiu'er said. "Why don't you ask the prince if that's alright?"
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
The Prince of Jin was not deaf.
"Go and take a look, don't delay, we'll wait for you to come back for dinner," said the Prince of Jin.
"Okay." Tang Zhuyun took off her homemade apron and hung it aside, then took Xiu'er out.
That's the advantage of living close to your parents' home; you can leave whenever you want without even needing to hitch up your car.
Yanran was playing crabfighting with Cui Xiaoqiu at the door. She was lying on the ground, covered in mud, and kept poking at the crabs with a stick while shouting, "Run!"
Tang Zhuyun found this scene amusing.
Making crabs race? How could they even come up with that? It must be Yanran's crazy idea.
Yanran's crab disobeyed and ran off the "race track." When it returned, Cui Xiaoqiu's crab was already close to the finish line.
Yanran's eyes darted around, and she quickly changed the rules. "Cui Xiaoqiu, let's switch sides. The finish line is over here now. One, two, three, go!"
Tang Zhuyun watched helplessly as she chased the crab back to the starting point, then congratulated herself on her victory.
Tang Zhuyun laughed and scolded, "You can't bully Young Master Cui like this. Why don't you just carry the crab to the finish line yourself? Wouldn't it be easier to win?"
Yanran's eyes lit up. "Mother, you're right. Cui Xiaoqiu, let's compete again."
The young master of the Cui Family, being good-natured, slowly replied, "I think it's acceptable."
He has a mild temperament and seems to never lose his temper, making him very likable.
This might be a classic case of Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai – one is willing to hit, and the other is willing to be hit.
Tang Zhuyun said, "You all have fun. Yanran, don't bully anyone. Your mother is going to your maternal grandfather's house to say a few words to your aunt and will be back soon."
Yanran nodded in agreement and said, "Please tell my aunt that I will go see Sister Yuan again tomorrow."
When Tang Zhuyun returned to the Tang Family, Meng Yulan was already waiting for her at the second gate.
Meng Yulan didn't let her in either. Instead, she took her hand and stood behind the hanging flower gate, with a patch of lush green bamboo behind them, rustling in the wind.
"Your father and elder brother are both back, but I heard that the prince's wet nurse just arrived, so I won't keep you any longer. I'll just say a few words and then you should go back quickly."
"Sister-in-law, what's wrong?" Tang Zhuyun asked with a smile, "You're making me nervous."
"A-Yun, something's not right in the palace lately." Meng Yulan nervously and cautiously, "Tomorrow you'll accompany the Prince to the palace. Remember, speak and do as little as possible, and don't leave the Prince's side."
"Something's not right in the palace?" Tang Zhuyun asked in surprise. "What's wrong?"
"His Majesty has stayed overnight at Consort De's palace for three consecutive nights."
Consort De, isn't that Meng Yulan's aunt?
Tang Zhuyun asked, "Didn't the Emperor visit Consort De's palace before?"
Most importantly, what does this have to do with Meng Yulan telling her to be careful?
Because of Meng Yulan's connection, Consort De's gaining favor is probably a good thing for her.
It's better than that old woman, the Empress, being favored.
"Consort De is getting old and has been out of favor for many years. The Emperor only visits her occasionally because she served the Empress Dowager."
The title of Consort De was requested by the Empress Dowager on her behalf from the Emperor before her death, in order to ensure her safety.
However, before that, Consort De was completely suppressed by the Empress, leaving her no room to breathe.
Firstly, the Duke Meng's Residence was indeed in decline, and secondly, Consort De was not favored by the Emperor.
As he grew older, he suddenly received more favor, spending three consecutive nights in Consort De's palace. Upon closer examination, something about this seems rather odd.
"Her Majesty the Empress consulted the imperial physician twice," Meng Yulan said in a low voice, "Saying she had chest pains."
"Don't worry, I won't get involved, and I won't save her," Tang Zhuyun said. "I won't stand out in the palace."
Meng Yulan said, "In short, something's not right in the palace right now, so you absolutely mustn't get involved. Of course, this is just my own feeling; the Prince hasn't mentioned it to you, has he?"
"No."
Meng Yulan gripped Tang Zhuyun's hand tightly and said seriously, "A-Yun, women have a more sensitive intuition when it comes to women's issues. So trust me, be careful."